Bathing The Dog
A newly bathed dog is a
wonderful thing
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Have you hugged your dog today?
The answer to this question is most often a resounding NO! I don't mean a quick pat
on the head or a tentative tickle down the back. I mean to say a really big, robust,
heart-warming hug! After all, who would want to put their arms around a dog for
goodness sake! Dogs have fleas, dirt and other unmentionables or didn't your mother
tell you that?
Well, this may be the extreme example but it proves a point. Dogs are living in the
Middle Ages in terms of their bathing habits. A few centuries ago, some of our
ancestors reviled bathing as leading to sickness and death. This medieval concept
still exists today when we hear that dogs can only be bathed every 6 months because baths
strip dogs of their natural protective oils.
The lack of these oils causes dry skin
and itching or so the story goes. Actually, the opposite of dry is wet, not oily.
Oil can create a barrier and keep moisture in or out but putting oil on something
dry is not the way to make it moist. Oil attracts and binds dirt and is easily
replaced. Lack of oil is not a pressing matter in the canine world.
As an experiment, don't wash your hair for 6 months. Roll around on the carpet and
on grass. Fling crumbs and things at your head. Walk in the rain without an
umbrella. At the end of 6 months, try to get a good hug from your nearest and
dearest. Now you know what it's like to be a bath deprived dog.
Let's move forward into this century. Clean is good for people, houses and cars so it follows that it's good for
dogs too. Clean is hygenic, it smells great, it feels silky and fresh and is
generally delightful. A little soap and water can drown fleas and other insects.
A brisk bath can loosen and remove dead hairs and skin. A bath can be a good
time to look for lumps, cuts and other injuries. In general, we can't find anything
wrong with a frequent bathing routine.
The
2-Minute Routine
Deposit dog at groomers. Get coffee, run
errands, go to work and then pick up dog. Cost: $30+ depending on
exactly how much your dog requires. A large dog with long hair can cost
$50+ and you may have to come back to pick him up at the end of the day.
In some cities, mobile dog groomers even come to your home or
office. These self-contained units bring their own electricity and water.
You simply have to walk to the end of the driveway or meet them in a convenient
parking lot.
The 20-Minute to 2-Hour Routine
Clean your dog at a
self-serve dog wash shop. A good shop will be very clean and have all the
right tools. These would include:
chest-level bathing station, shampoo selection, fresh towels, clean brushes,
industrial-strength blow drying station, leash holders and ramps. The good
thing is that you will not have to wash the towels and pick up all the hair
afterwards. A medium-sized, cooperative dog can take 15 minutes to wash
and 20 minutes to blow dry. A giant-sized, uncooperative dog can take 2
hours and still be damp to the touch. Cost: $10+.
The 30-Minute
to 2 and 1/2-Hour Routine
Shower the dog at
home. Not only is this economical, you will not have to make an appointment
or explain why you're using fruit-scented moisturizing shampoo for humans. Cost:
Minimal but you will have to mop the floor and throw the towels into the
washer.
Contrary to
popular myth, bathing is easiest when it involves
a shower and not a bath. Unless something on your dog requires soaking, a shower
with constant stream of clean water is preferable to trying to place all four
protesting feet into a tub full of soapy water.
Here are the five easy steps to successful and pleasant
home washing.
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